Family Reunion Under Unusual Circumstances
by Edge of Hyrule
Summary: Rated T. After the great war in Xadia, Rayla has been chosen by the Dragon Queen to lead a new Dragonguard. But the past can never truly vanish, only hide for a time. With Callum now by her side after completing his training, can Rayla come to terms with this newfound hope after her parents unexpectedly return after she believes them to be gone?
1. Chapter 1

**Hiya, everyone! Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while, but I couldn't pass this chance up. Here is my first-ever story for the Netflix original "The Dragon Prince". Enjoy!**

* * *

_The war between the human kingdoms and Xadia ended after the Dark Mage Viren died and his army was repelled. Representatives from the human kingdoms and elves representing their people were present for the signing of the International Peace Treaty of the Pentarchy-Xadian Alliance. Prince Callum decided to go with Ibis and complete his training to master his Sky Arcanum, while his Moonshadow elf girlfriend, Rayla, was chosen by the Dragon Queen, Zubeia, to officially become the captain of the new Dragonguard._

* * *

In the lair of Zubeia and her son Zym, Rayla is on her knees with her head bowed, eyes closed, a frown on her face, and her palms resting on her legs. Zubeia is teaching her how to clear her mind and just listen to the sounds around her. Her ears move ever so slightly when she hears a rustling from near her. _'Must be Zym that's tryin' ta sneak up on me,' _she thinks, smiling when the young dragon prince reaches up and nuzzles her ear. Zubeia calls her son over and Zym whines sadly, flying back over to his mother. Rayla focuses on her training once more and hears a rustling coming from the entrance behind her. She smiles and opens her eyes, grabbing her trusty twin retractable blades from the back of her belt and flicking them to the sword stance. She gets to her feet very slowly and, with lightning-fast reflexes, she twists her whole body around and has her blades crossed in front of her, one foot in front of her and the other one behind her. "Callum!" she says, folding her blades up and stowing them on their loops on the back of her belt.

"Hey, Rayla," he replies, holding out his arms to welcome a hug from her. The Moonshadow elf doesn't wait up and leaps into her boyfriend's arms, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly, the gesture that Callum returns.

They let go of each other, Callum's hands resting on Rayla's waist and her hands against his neck. "Wha' are ya doin' here, Callum?" Rayla asks, her thumbs running across his cheeks. Tears begin to form in her eyes and she smiles at her human that she's been through everything with to return Zym to his mother.

Callum smiles and reaches up to cup her face. "Ibis told me that I've progressed so much in the last few months that I was given permission to have a 'leave-of-absence' and visit you," he explains, wiping a stray tear from her face that has escaped its confines. "Besides, we haven't seen each other for a bit and I think that we should catch up," he adds, moving his hand from its spot on her cheek to the back of her head and pressing their foreheads together.

Rayla chuckles and kisses his cheek. "Well, ya gotta wait 'til I'm done with work," she says, laughing at the pouty face he makes at her. "We can spend as much time as ya want when I'm done. Nyx is gonna take over for me just as the sun begins ta set."

Callum gives her a weird look. "Wait, _Nyx _– the same Skywing elf that tried to steal Zym – is a member of the Dragonguard?" he asks in disbelief, letting go of Rayla to sit down. "I thought she said she was fine with remaining a scavenger, thief – whatever she said she was."

Rayla chuckles and sits down next to him. "Okay, first off, she was a bounty hunter," she corrects, taking his hand in hers and looping her fingers in his. "Second off, she had a very good explanation for her change of heart. She told me herself tha' the heartfelt speech ya gave ta compliment me was a tear-jerker and tha' she had ta do somethin' other than only worryin' about herself."

Callum smiles and gets to his feet, pulling Rayla up with him. "Well, I wouldn't have expected her to go from trying to get away with stealing Zym to being a loyal protector of the Royal Dragon family. At least she's doing something with her life that isn't only about her," he sighs in relief, letting go of his girlfriend's hand and crossing his arms. "So, who else joined the Dragonguard? Besides Nyx, that is?"

Rayla chuckles and places her hands on her hips. "A couple Sunfire elves became part of the guard, as well as a few Moonshadow elves, an Earthblood elf, and even a couple soldiers from ya're aunt's squadron were given permission ta resign from her command ta join the guard," she replies crossing her arms. "But, aside from the fact tha' the dragon queen has taught me a couple of thin's since I started as a Dragonguard, everythin's been so borin' without ya here."

Callum smiles and begins to fidget with his fingers. "Yeah, about that..." he starts, looking down at the floor. "Rayla, I have to talk to you about something, but, before I even tell you anything, you _need _to promise me that you won't freak out when I tell you."

Rayla nods, letting her arms hang at her sides. "I promise. Ya know I'd do anythin' for ya, right?" she says, watching her boyfriend as he takes a deep breath and tries to get his nerves relaxed.

Callum takes a deep breath and looks up at her, his arms now at his sides. "So, a couple days before I left on my 'leave-of-absence', I was talking with Ibis and he asked me what I wanted to do after I'd mastered using magic. The question kind of left me unable to speak because I've never heard my teacher ask me anything like that in the time that I've known him. He noticed that I didn't have an answer and told me that he didn't need an answer right away, that I could think about it."

Rayla cocks her head slightly, confused. "But ya're a talented artist and Sky Mage. Ya don't ever go mute because of an unusual question someone asks ya," she tells him softly, falling silent once more when he starts talking again.

"Yeah, but that's the thing, Rayla," Callum says. "I had been so focused on mastering my arcanum that I hadn't given much thought to what I'd be doing _after_ I was done. I thought about it while I was laying down on my back, gazing at the stars – which, by the way, I didn't get much sleep because of how hard I was thinking – and I suddenly was thinking about how much I missed having you next to me. And then, it hit me: I knew what I wanted to do after I mastered my arcanum."

Rayla's eyebrows rise up a bit. "And wha' did ya tell Ibis?" she asks, listening intently to hear what Callum says.

The Sky Mage chuckles, smirking. "He told me to follow what my heart is telling me, that I shouldn't have to keep holding myself back from what's most important to me," he replies, his smirk returning when he sees Rayla give him a weird look.

"And tha' is?"

Callum closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. _'No turning back now,' _he thinks, opening his eyes again and looking over at his girlfriend. "I've decided that I'm going to be joining the Dragonguard," he says, cringing inside when he sees Rayla's face.

"Are ya kiddin' me?" she almost shouts, grabbing his scarf abruptly. "Ya know how long I've been waitin' ta ask ya ta join me and become a Dragonguard?"

Callum shrugs, a grin on his face. "I can only imagine just how long that's been bugging you," he replies. "I guess that Ibis knew in some way and I just had to get over that last hurdle. He said he was so proud of me for completing my training to master my arcanum and that I was relieved as his apprentice so that I could be here with you."

Rayla's ear twitches, signaling that someone has arrived. "Oh, speak of the former bounty hunter herself," she says, taking Callum's hand and walking up to the top of the stairs. "Nyx is here ta take over for me."

Callum smiles. "Then let's not waste any more time," he decides. "Let's go."

* * *

It doesn't take much more than Callum to recite the words to bring his wings back and for Rayla to wrap her arms around his neck. Callum flies down to the base of the Stormspire and, as soon as their feet touch the ground, Rayla lets go of Callum and his wings disappear, returning to his arms.

"So, does this mean tha' ya're staying in Xadia for good?" Rayla asks, sitting down on a rock outcropping and scooting over so that Callum can sit next to her.

Callum nods, her fingers looping through his. _'Who would've thought that our chance encounter on that night that Dad died would lead up to this?' _he thinks, looking at the beautiful elf that's his alone.

"Callum. Callum," Rayla says loudly, breaking his trance and making him look at her. "Wha' did Ezran have ta say about ya're decision?"

"He didn't really object to my decision and told me that I did good listening to my heart," the Sky Mage replies, both of them leaning against each other as they watch the setting sun turn the sky shades of red, orange, yellow, pink, and purple. "Rayla?"

"Hm?"

"You look great in the Dragonguard armor," Callum says, reaching up with a hand to run his fingers through her white hair. "I think that this job suits you best."

Rayla wraps her arm around his waist and rubs her hand against his back. "Well, I won't have ta deal with bein' the only one who wears the colors of the guard," she replies.

Callum sighs and scoots away from Rayla a little and leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees, his hands linking together in a gesture that Rayla is all too familiar with.

_'He's worried 'bout somethin',' _Rayla thinks, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Ya okay, Callum?" she asks.

Callum nods and looks up at her. "I'm fine," he replies, taking her hand off his shoulder and looping her fingers in his. "I was just thinking about how proud your parents would be of you if they were here to see you now."

Rayla's face screws up in remorse and looks down at her pendant that Ethari gave to her before she and Callum left the Silvergrove to continue their journey of returning Zym to his mother. "Yeah, if they were here," she says sadly, wiping away the tears that have started to fall. "Callum, ya got ya're sketchbook on ya?"

"Yeah, I never go anywhere without it. Why?"

Rayla takes a deep breath and looks up at Callum. "I'd like to see wha' my parents look like again," she replies.

Callum nods and grabs his sketchbook and opens it to where he drew her parents. "You still think about them a lot, huh?"

Rayla closes her eyes and nods. "Ya know, I've always wondered wha' really happened ta 'em after they encountered Viren," she says, running her palm across the drawing with a tiny smile on her face. "Ya told me before the battle tha' they fought against Viren ta the end, but wha' if Viren didn't kill 'em and only trapped 'em in somethin'?" she asks, looking up at him.

Callum shrugs. "I mean, it might be possible, but we don't even know what Viren did to them," he reasons, getting to his feet. "For all we know, he could've vaporized them both in an instant."

Rayla gets to her feet as well and crosses her arms. "But neither of us know tha' for sure," she argues.

Callum walks up to her and puts his hands on her arms. "You know that I would fully support you a lifetime and more, but I also understand that you really _do _believe that your parents are still alive," he says quietly, moving his hands up her arms to rest on her shoulders.

Rayla chuckles and rests her head against his chest. "Ya always have a way with words, don't ya, Callum?" she teases, lifting her head up to peck him on the lips. "Ya always know just how ta make me feel better because everythin's always better with ya around."

Callum smirks. "Well, one of us has to learn to play the other's childish games," he teases back, pressing his forehead to hers.

Rayla smiles. "Well, ya got a point there," she replies smugly, her hands moving up to rest against his chest before she pushes him away playfully. "I want ta see ya in the colors of the guard, so go get 'em on."

* * *

Rayla sits outside the entrance to the Dragonguard barracks waiting for Callum to come out.

"Rayla."

The former assassin turns around and slowly rises to her feet, a look of surprise on her face. "Callum," she breathes, walking up to him and giving him a big hug. "The outfit suits ya."

Callum returns the hug, the colors of his new Dragonguard armor shining in the last rays of the sun. "Thanks, Rayla," he whispers in her ear. "It means a lot to me."

Rayla lets him go and takes his hand in hers. "Since ya just became part of the guard, ya're gonna stick with me so ya can learn the ropes and then, when I feel ya're ready, I'm gonna give ya ya're first assignment," she says, pulling him back into the barracks and straight ahead to the armory. "Tomorrow, ya're gonna pick out ya're weapon ta use."

Callum stops abruptly, his hand being pulled from Rayla's. "Rayla, remember I told you that I wasn't good with a sword – actually, any weapons at all?" he says, his face plainly showing his nervousness. "I still don't know if I'm able to use a weapon."

Rayla rubs her thumb across the top of his hand reassuringly. "Callum, listen ta me," she starts, her voice unusually gentle. "Ya've proven time and time again since I've known ya that, even though ya're a human, ya connected ta ya're Sky Arcanum and have become a powerful Mage, just like I knew ya'd be. This is no different, since I'm gonna be the one who's gonna teach ya."

Callum takes a deep breath and smiles. "Yeah, you're right," he decides. "I did become the first _human _Sky Mage, despite what others said about me. I know that I'm going to master the use of a weapon, especially if it's you that's helping me."

Rayla nods, smiling. "Like I told ya before the battle with Viren's army, wha'ever we decide ta do, we'll do it together," she says.

* * *

Several weeks pass by and Callum is improving thanks to Rayla's timely training. He's chosen to wield a pair of short swords, similar in design to the sword that he saw Rayla's mother use when the two members of the guard fought against Viren. Rayla has shown him that his swords extend to twice their length and become flexible, allowing him to wrap around anything he flings them at.

Rayla has arranged for a duel between Callum and one of the human guards as an extension of his training to see just how much he's learned so far. "The match begins in five..."

Callum readies himself for the match, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. _'Remember everythin' I taught ya,' _Rayla's voice echoes in his ear. He holds his swords out on either side of him, placing one foot behind him slightly and bending over a little to give himself a small advantage to sprint forward when Rayla finishes her countdown to the start of the duel.

"Begin!"

Callum springs forward, his swords held behind him as he runs towards his fellow guard. He blocks the first strike from the other sword, dodges the second strike with a roll, and knocks the sword from his opponent's hands, causing the soldier to stagger away before falling down. As his opponent tries to crawl away to grab his weapon, Callum activates the flexibility of one of his swords and flings it towards his opponent. The sword wraps around the guard's leg and Callum pulls him back abruptly, his other sword wrapping around his opponent's upper body. Callum uses his free sword to hold up to his opponent's neck, to which Rayla ends the match.

Rayla claps as she walks towards Callum and the other guard, who's been released from Callum's swords. "Well done, Callum," she says, crossing her arms together. "I thought that ya'd have a hard time with ya're combat skills, but ya seem ta keep surprising ev'ryone."

Callum sheaths his swords on his back and crosses his arms. "Seems like I have to thank you for teaching me everything I know," he replies, one eyebrow up as he smirks at her. "You told me when I first joined the guard that, if I had the tenacity to learn and master Sky Magic, I could learn to properly use a weapon, if I remember correctly."

"..." Rayla pauses when she hears the rest of her guard snickering at her boyfriend's smug comment.

"I mean, I did learn from the best in the guard," Callum continues, gesturing towards her with his hand. "Who else here has persuaded a blind Sol Regem to let a human pass through into Xadia to help you complete your quest to return Zym to his mother? Or willingly risked their life to save a bounty hunter from a huge mob of Soulfang serpents? Who else has been through anything and everything to prove that they can be something other than what they were trained to do?"

"..." Rayla still can't find an answer, so she remains silent.

"Out of all the members of the Dragonguard, only you can say that you did all those things, Rayla, because you are the one that brought a long-standing war between the human kingdoms and Xadia to an end as well as the peace that came soon after. Everyone here looks up to you as a hero for all that you've done, not only for Xadia, but also for the Pentarchy."

"We don't just think of you as a hero, Captain," Nyx adds, looking around at her fellow dragonguards. "We as your friends see both you and the Commander as those whose names will be written in both Xadia's history books and the Pentarchy's history books."

The other guard members all nod in agreement.

Rayla crosses her arms, tears freely flowing down her cheeks. "Thank ya, all of ya," she says, reaching up to wipe the tears away. "I had no idea y'all felt tha' way."

Callum bows to her, followed by the others in the group. "You've become the role model for all young people – humans and elves alike – and the majority of the whole continent are indebted to you," he says, getting to his feet once again. "I'm indebted to you, Captain."

The rest of the training session goes well and Callum wins against all of his fellow guards until it's only Rayla that he has to fight. Rayla pulls out her blades and snaps them open to the sword position, crossing her arms and holding her blades on either side of her body. She watches as Callum moves into his go-to stance of holding his swords out on either side of his body and his foot slightly behind him. _'Oh, I'm gonna 'ave fun fightin' him,' _she thinks, one of the Sunfire elf guards counting down until he finishes his countdown and the two opponents ready themselves for their duel.

"Begin!"

Rayla races forward with her arms out behind her and leaps into the air. Callum barely has any time to dodge with a roll and blocks the strike from his girlfriend's blades with one of his swords. He flicks his other now-flexible sword and it wraps around one of Rayla's ankles, allowing him to pull the Moonshadow elf off her feet – which makes her yelp in surprise – and holds his straight sword to her chest.

"Who said I couldn't beat the Captain fair and square?" Callum says, putting both swords away and helping Rayla to her feet. "The guard who said that they'd bet that I couldn't beat the Captain, please step forward."

No one steps forward to face the Commander, but Callum already knows who it is. "Nyx, I know that it was you," he says sternly, waving her over to him. "You don't have to keep the truth to yourself anymore."

Nyx timidly steps forward and looks down at her feet, unable to bring herself to look her Commander in the eye. "I did it," she says quietly, looking sorry for herself. "I'm sorry."

Callum looks over at Rayla, who nods. He turns back towards the Skywing elf, walking forward and gently placing his hand on her shoulder. "I forgive you, Nyx," he replies. "Just please make sure that you don't do it again."

Nyx nods and smiles, returning to her spot. She and the rest of the guard are sent off to their respective posts, leaving Callum and Rayla by themselves on the platform that serves as the training ring.

Rayla takes Callum's hand and they walk to the edge, both of them sitting down on the edge. "So, ya can finally say tha' ya beat me fair and square at a duel," she says, pulling one leg up and resting her arms on her knee.

Callum crosses his legs, pulling one knee up halfway and resting his elbow on it. "Yeah, well, that was a slick move pulling your feet out from under you, right?" he asks, both of them leaning their shoulders against each other's.

Rayla snickers and nods. "Yeah, but tha' hurt my back a bit," she replies coyly, her ear twitching which makes her stop talking and slowly get to her feet.

Callum gets to his feet as well. "Rayla, something up?" he asks, already reaching for one of his swords.

Rayla grabs her blades and flips them open. "Someone's comin'," she replies quietly. She gestures for him to sneak around in case he needs to use his magic to fight as a backup if he loses one or both of his swords. She creeps forward, her blades held out in front of her protectively, and makes out a shape in the growing darkness. "Show ya'reself!"

One of the figures steps out of the shadows, a hood covering their face, and slowly walks forward. Rayla can obviously see that they are carrying a weapon and tightens her grip on her blades, ready for anything to happen. But the figure makes no move to grab their weapon and stops several feet from Rayla.

Rayla doesn't waver, though. "Who are ya?" she demands, still keeping her guard up.

The figure reaches up and pushes their hood back, revealing an older female Moonshadow elf with short white hair, bangs swept to the side, and curved horns. "Hello, Rayla," she says.

Rayla's blades move down a bit. "How do ya know my name?" she asks, standing up straight but keeping her blades out still.

Before the short-haired elf can reply, Callum comes up, his swords in their places on his back, and whispers in Rayla's ear: "She's your mom, Rayla."

Rayla's eyes go wide and she folds her blades up, but doesn't put them away just yet because she wants to find out if what her 'mother' says in response is true. "Tell me somethin' tha' only ya know," she says, crossing her arms with her blades still held in each hand.

The Moonshadow elf takes a deep breath. "I remember tha' ya were playing hide-and-seek with Runaan and Ethari when ya were little – before ya went ta live with 'em – and ya had climbed a tree ta hide. Ya jumped out of the tree and landed on Ethari's back, knocking him down and ya gave him the biggest hug a four-year-old could give," she replies, walking a little more towards Rayla. "I also remember tha', whenever ya and me an' ya're dad would go for walks around the Silvergrove, ya always asked ta ride on ya're dad's shoulders."

Rayla's eyes light up at the memory. "Tha's right," she agrees, finally putting her blades away and stepping closer to her mom. "Ya would always tease me for being a daddy's girl whenever I would ask Dad ta ride on his shoulders."

Rayla's mother nods, tears starting to stream down her face. "Ya remember," she whispers, putting her hands on her daughter's upper arms. "Let me go get ya're dad; I'll be right back."

Rayla nods and smiles at Callum, who's taken her hand in his. "I never woulda thought tha' they'd be here when I thought tha' they were gone for so long," she says to him quietly, rubbing her thumb across his hand.

Callum lets go of her hand and pulls her into his side, wrapping his arm around her waist. "I understand how you feel, Rayla," he replies, his girlfriend resting her head on his shoulder. "It's weird to see your parents come back when you've thought them dead for a long time."

Rayla nods and smiles as she lifts her head when she sees her parents coming towards them. "Wait here, Callum," she says quietly, her boyfriend staying put while she confidently walks forward and stops in front of them.

Rayla's father starts getting emotional when he sees how strong-willed and beautiful his daughter has become. "Rayla? Is it really you?" he asks, looking between her and her mother. "Is it really our Rayla, Tiadrin?"

Rayla's mother nods. "It's really her, Lain," she replies, reaching out to pull their daughter into a tight hug. "We missed ya so much, Rayla," she says into her daughter's ear. Lain joins in the hug, wrapping his arms around his wife and daughter.

After a couple minutes, Tiadrin and Lain let go of Rayla because she wants them to meet Callum. "Mom, Dad, this is Callum, step-prince of the kingdom of Katolis, a fellow member of my Dragonguard, and my, um ... boyfriend," she finishes awkwardly, taking his hand in hers and lacing their fingers together.

Callum shakes Tiadrin's hand first and then Lain's. "It's nice to meet both of you," he says, looking at Rayla and smiles at her, which she returns.

Lain clears his throat to tear his daughter and her ... boyfriend ... from their tender moment. "So, Callum, how did ya and Rayla meet?" he asks, looking at Tiadrin.

Callum opens his mouth to speak, but Rayla beats him to it. "Funny thin' is, I was on my first mission as an assassin – trained by Runaan, as ya both probably already know – and I had snuck into the castle ta kill Callum's younger half-brother, King Ezran," she says.

"I'd been looking for my brother and I just happened to be followed by Rayla," Callum continues the story. "She began chasing me and one thing led to another; before we knew it, Ezran, Rayla, and I were fleeing the castle with the egg of the Dragon Prince."

"Zym – the nickname we gave the Dragon Prince Azmondias – ended up freeing me from my binding ta kill Ezran and gave all three of us a new mission: we decided ta make the long trip ta return Zym ta his mother, Queen Zubeia. Along the way, Callum and I realized tha' we liked each other a lot and finally confessed ta each other."

"Along the way, I ended up connecting to my Sky Arcanum and now, thanks to Ibis' training, I've mastered my magic. Rayla here asked me to become a member of the Dragonguard not too long after she was officially chosen by the Dragon Queen to become the Captain of the guard."

Tiadrin and Lain look at each other, surprised. "So, I've heard that only a handful of Skywing elves know a spell that allows them ta fly even though they don't have wings," Lain says, curious, as he crosses his arms. "Do ya, by chance, happen ta know that spell?"

Callum nods. "That I do, Lain," he replies, looking at his girlfriend. "Rayla's seen me in action, haven't you?"

Rayla nods. "It was during the final fight tha' went down below us and I was trying ta figure out a way to defeat the Dark Mage tha' was slowly removin' Zym's powers from his little body. The only thin' I could think of was ta push the Dark Mage off the top o' the Stormspire and so tha's wha' I did," she says.

Callum begins talking after Rayla finishes her part of the story. "I got so worried about Rayla that I took a leap of faith and jumped after her. At first, the spell wouldn't work until I cleared my mind and said the words. After my wings sprouted, I went into a head-first dive and saved Rayla."

Tiadrin smiles, taking her daughter's hand in hers. "Ya seem ta have chosen a nice young man who's shown enormous potential for a human," she says softly, turning to Callum. "Learning magic, despite being a human, is a huge feat that even elves sometimes have a hard time with. Ya're a noble, brave human and I would be pleased ta call ya my son, Callum."

Callum smiles, squeezing Rayla's hand. "Thank you, Tiadrin and Lain," he says. "It's great to be around people who don't criticize me for being the only human that has magic."

Elliun clears his throat. "Well, speaking of magic, would ya be kind enough ta show us ya're spell that turns ya're arms into wings?" he asks.

Callum nods, stepping back to allow for room to cast the Mage Wings spell. He breathes deeply and holds his arms out straight in front of him. "Manus. Pluma. Volantus," he says quietly, the runes on his arms each lighting up as he says each word. Seconds later, brown feathers – the same brown as his hair – begin growing from his arms until they've transformed into a huge pair of bird wings. "These are my Mage Wings," he says, folding them up and walking back towards his girlfriend and her parents.

Rayla smiles and walks up to him. "No matter how many times I see ya do tha', it always makes me so astounded tha' ya can say the spell so easily," she compliments him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Callum smirks, wrapping his ... wings ... around her. "You want to go for a fly, Rayla?" he asks, moving her hands up to wrap around his neck.

Rayla nods. "How could I ever refuse a free pair of wings?" she replies, threading her fingers together.

Callum smiles and lifts his wings, flapping once to propel them into the air. After they fly around for a few minutes, the couple swoop back down to the platform and Rayla lets go of Callum's neck when they land.

Lain and Tiadrin clap their hands and walk towards Rayla and Callum. "Well done, Callum," Lain says, clapping his hand on the Sky Mage's shoulder. "Ya seem ta know ya're magic by heart and ya repeat the words like ya've had ya're magic since ya were a young child."

Callum's wings transform back into arms and he puts his arm around Rayla's waist. "Yeah, well, I have Ibis to thank," he replies, glancing sideways at Rayla. "Although he helped me to learn all the spells, it was Rayla who encouraged me to continue mastering each spell that Ibis gave me to learn."

The foursome continue talking and both Callum and Rayla find out what Viren had done to Lain and Tiadrin after they'd been beaten: the Dark Mage trapped them in coins and they weren't freed until Viren had been killed by Rayla.

"It took us the better part of four months ta get from the middle of Katolis to the Stormspire," Tiadrin explains, taking Rayla's hand in hers. "Our one goal that ya're father and I shared was trying ta get back ta ya."

Lain takes Tiadrin's hand in his to comfort her. "It's because we missed ya so much and wanted ta see how ya were fairin' since we weren't in the picture at the time ya and Callum returned the Dragon Prince – I mean, Zym – ta his mother," he adds, looking at his wife, who gives him a smile in a way to say 'Thank you'. "How long has it been since we were trapped, Rayla?"

Rayla's smile disappears. "Almost twelve years," she replies sadly, leaning into Callum. "I hadn't learned of ya're heroic actions ta protect Zym until we'd already arrived at the Stormspire and, up until then, I'd held a grudge against ya both because I thought tha' ya had fled like all the others had."

Callum understands her grief and finishes the story. "After Rayla stormed off after her and I argued, I cast a spell that allowed me to see what really happened and was able to convince Rayla that you both fought until the end to protect Zym," he says. "Although I never did see what Viren did to you both, so neither of us really knew what he did."

Lain nods. "Well, now ya both know wha' he did," he says, looking at Sariah. "Do ya think tha' we can become reacquainted with Queen Zubeia?"

Rayla nods, taking Callum's hand. "Follow us," she replies.

* * *

_Lain and Tiadrin ended up rejoining the Dragonguard – although they had never resigned – and willingly acknowledged Rayla and Callum as their commanding officers. Callum and Rayla eventually got engaged and married later on and trained their daughter, Sariah, and their son, Harrow, years later to follow in their footsteps as members of the Dragonguard. But the peace that reigned throughout Xadia and the Pentarchy would be disrupted and Cayla and Harrow would have to use their training to protect Zym and his mother from the face of evil._

* * *

**Ah, for those of you who made it to the end, congrats! I'm so glad that you liked this and I hope that, from your reviews, I can write a sequel to this. Kudos and see ya later!**

**A/N: I chose to rename Callum and Rayla's daughter and give her the name Sariah because it sounds like a name meld between Callum's mother's name and Rayla's.**


	2. Author's Note

**A/N: Thank you so much for all the interest in this story and a huge shout-out to Egyptian dragon, who I credit for letting me know about the name reveals for Rayla's parents. I love that they have personality to their names and I adore their names: Tiadrin and Lain. Anyways, if you readers would like to see more Dragon Prince fanfics from my account, then you are more than welcome to message me with ideas you want to see.**


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